


Must Be

by turkeyburger



Category: One Piece
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-09
Updated: 2018-03-08
Packaged: 2018-10-30 00:14:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 11,067
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10865055
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/turkeyburger/pseuds/turkeyburger
Summary: Two boys--one a prince, one an aspiring swordsman--are thrown together, their fates seemingly interlocked.  As they grow closer, they must make a choice between what they are expected to do and what they actually want--and whether or not they can do it together.





	1. A Beginning

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! I plan for this story to take place over several years and will indicate any time-jumps at the beginning of chapters to avoid confusion. I actually started writing this a couple years ago but just didn't post it anywhere, so any spoilers about Sanji's canonical family are not applied in this story. I really love fantasy worlds and know that this AU is pretty common, but I hope this is something fresh. Please be patient with me as I write very slowly and have a busy life, but I really want to finish this story!! Enjoy xx (Rating may or may not change, I'll add characters/relationships as the story progresses.)

Everything hurt.  He didn't know it was possible feel so much pain in his head, his heart.  There was a twisting pressure against his ribcage and he felt the urge to throw up but his stomach was empty.  His tears mixed with the rain as it ran down his face.  He didn't understand the tears.  They wouldn't stop. 

He looked down at his hands.  Blood.  There was blood, always blood.  The redness was familiar, how it seemed to seep into every little crevice on his skin.  The blood was the only thing tying him here, the only thing he understood.  

It wasn't his blood.  

He looked up at the beautiful, nearly ethereal blade that was stuck in the ground through the chest of some man.  A stranger.  There were other strangers, many of them, scattered around him, some with cut throats, missing limbs, but all dead.  All dead.  Dead.  The rain mixed with their blood as it ran off their bodies.

He felt nothing.  He had felt nothing as he watched them die by his sword.  He had reacted, they wanted to hurt him so he reacted.  But he felt nothing.  Only the warmth of their blood as it soaked his clothes.

He sat there, staring at the sword in the stranger.  It was so clean despite all the killing it just did.  He felt it staring right back at him; he could feel it's sadness.  He could see his own pain reflected in the blade.  He hated it.  He hated that sword.  He hated that he was never meant to wield it, how it was never his destiny.  He hated the girl that died and left him with her blade, her promise.  The constant reminder of her.  The constant pain of knowing she'll never use it again.

Everything hurt.

He didn't know how long he sat there, in front of the dead stranger, staring at his hands.  Time didn't matter to him anymore.  He didn't feel time.

He didn't notice the steps that cautiously but surely walked toward him, or when the boy crouched in front of him.  When he felt the warmth of a hand on his shoulder, warmth of blood not yet spilt, he slowly looked up. 

The boy was young, younger than him maybe.  The boy's dark hair was plastered to his head in the pouring rain.  The two of them looked at each other.  The dark haired boy said nothing but looked at him with eyes that understood.  There was no judgment, only resoluteness.  He couldn't look away from the dark haired boy.  He couldn't look away as he saw that deadly serious face break into a smile that seemed to cover the boy's entire face.

He could see the boy’s mouth moving, hear his voice, but didn’t know what he was saying. It was clear, bright—it contrasted sharply with the morbidity that surrounded them.  The boy tightened the grip on his shoulder, barely noticeable, and looked him straight in his eyes, grin somehow widening even farther.  
   
And staring into those eyes, those eyes that seemed far too old to exist in the body of such a young boy, the aching pain in his heart broke.  He collapsed over into the lap of the dark haired boy and cried.  He screamed and sobbed and cried and finally made sense of the tears that ran down his face.  He cried with the abandon of a young child, the child that he was, and the dark haired boy gently placed his arms around the shaking figure.  

They sat together as the rain continued to pour. 

***

The castle was quiet.  The sun had just barely peeked from past the horizon and fog still lazily clung to the fields and sleeping buildings that huddled around the fortress that sat on a cliff overlooking the ocean.  It was early enough that even many of the servants still weren't awake, and only the occasional noise echoing lightly through the rooms created any sort of break in the silence.  This was his favorite time of day.  It was so still, the perfect time for being alone.  For he was rarely alone.

His sandals slapped softly against the stone as he swiftly made his way through the corridor.  Pushing his hair out of his eyes, he turned his head to look out the arched windows that flanked his right as he continued forward.  He smiled.  Outside he could see the ocean, smell the salt and clean air.  He loved the ocean.  He has always felt this pull towards it, a desire to somehow be a part of it.  It terrified him as much as it excited him, and he liked to see the ocean as often as he could, so he tried to take ways through the castle that allowed him to see the water.

Turning his head forward again, his mind wandered to the day ahead of him.  He would have to see his father sometime this morning.  His father liked to see him at least once a week, if not every day, though that wasn't really possible with all his responsibility.  Not that he really minded.  His father was not unkind, but there was a distance between them.  Not a large one, but wide enough that affection was not overly sought out.  

He would probably have a lesson, and maybe some sword training.  He didn't really like swords.  They were beautiful, but equally terrifying.  If his father didn't insist on it, he would have quit it a long time ago.  He didn't like putting his hands in harm's way.

Sighing, he remembered he has to have another fitting for his robes he's to wear at the upcoming festival.  Fittings were always exhausting.  He liked the beautiful garments they put him in—the deep colors and detailed embroidery—but he felt like a doll.  They were always poking and prodding and primping him, always saying this or that about him.  Since he can remember they've always fixated on his appearance; they love his blonde hair that “shines like gold” and his deep blue eyes.  They keep talking about how handsome he'll be once he grows, how he's sure to make a good husband to a beautiful woman someday.  They always badger him for hiding his eyebrows with his hair, and said the curling shape that he hated so much made him even more special, more enchanting.

That's what his attendants always said, anyways.  He's had a lot of different attendants, some kinder than others, but all constantly surrounding him with their fussing.

He didn't mind the attention, really.  At times he actually liked it very much and tried to be as enchanting as they wanted him to be.  But it could also be suffocating, and he was tired of their kindness, because it was always fueled by fear of his father's power—of his own power.  He couldn't remember a genuine smile.  Sure, there were some who were truly kind, but they could never remove the fact that he was a prince.  He was never a person.  

He didn't have any friends.  He couldn't stand to be around the children of the court too long because of their condescendence towards those below them, and none of the other children his age could relax around him—they were scared of him.  Not that he could really blame them.  
   
He treasured the time he could spend alone.  But he was lonely.

But none of that mattered right now.  He was going to his favorite place.

His pace quickened as he made his way further and further toward his destination.  Today was a unique opportunity for him, for they weren't making any bread today, so the bakers were all asleep, and his father had called for a late breakfast.  He could go there without being disturbed or making a disturbance.  For whatever reason, him being there was offensive to a lot of people, and he didn't want to make too much trouble so he didn't go there too often during the day, but stole away in the middle of the night.

He turned the last corner into the main kitchen of the castle.  Just as he thought, it was completely empty, the sun gently shining through the high placed windows.  He smiled to himself.  It really was a beautiful kitchen, and it was wonderful to be able to see it in sunlight rather than straining to see things with the light of a single candle.  He could see all of the large fireplaces that lined one of the walls and rows of perfectly shined pots hanging from the ceiling.  His father liked parties and lots of food, and the kitchen had more than enough to fit his wants.  

He quickly made his way over to one of the counters and eyed the set of knives set in a polished block of wood.  He moved to pull one out.

"Eggplant!"

Sanji jumped straight out of his skin as the spell of early morning broke around him.  He turned to the man who stood imposingly in the doorway with a deep scowl on his face, large mustache twitching.

Sanji tried to match his expression.  "What, old man?"  He barked back, huffily crossing his arms over his chest.

The man seemed amused at his reaction, but tried his best to deepen his scowl.  "You know what I've told you about coming here, if they know you're spending too much time here, there's going to be trouble, for you and me both.  I don't need my life gambled on the whims of some little brat," he spat, making his way over to where Sanji stood.

Sanji turned his chin up. "What does it matter?!  Why do they care?!"

The man sighed, this time with some sadness in his eyes.  "You know it's not right for royalty to spend so much time in the kitchens, it's the job of servants," he said softly.

Sanji dropped his eyes to the floor, his hair falling over his face.  "But it's not fair.  I want to be here."

The man snorted.  "You're a crowned prince!  You're waited on hand and foot and you think you can complain about the fairness of a little thing like this?!"

"I know," Sanji said quietly.  "I just...want to spend time with you here.  I want to make food for people, like you do.  Something like that is far more important than the stuff that father makes me do all the time," Sanji said, turning his eyes up to the man pleadingly.

The man peered down back at him.  "Don't look at me like that, you little brat.  You think those puppy eyes are going to work on me?!"  He turned around and marched to one of the counters.  "If you're going to be taking up space here, make yourself useful and peel those potatoes," he said gruffly.

Sanji smiled so wide his cheeks hurt.  "Thank you, Zeff!" he exclaimed as he nearly ran over to the potato sack, quickly sitting down and starting his work.

"Just don't cut yourself, eggplant, I'll be hung with my own twine," Zeff grumbled out of the side of his mouth.  But he couldn't stop the persistent smile on his face that matched so well the one of the boy with golden hair sitting in the corner peeling potatoes. 

***

Once the other cooks started to drift into the kitchen, Sanji slipped away as quietly as he could.  Though he didn't like to show affection to the old man, Sanji respects him more than any other person he knows, maybe even more than his own father, and would never want to get Zeff in trouble.  

He figured it would be best to see his father now, before breakfast.  He was usually slightly irritable before he got his morning meal, but the meeting would be shorter that way.  As he reached his father's chamber, he could see the door slightly ajar and muffled voices from inside.  The king rarely had visitors in his own room.  Sanji knew it wasn't right to eavesdrop, but he still cautiously approached the open door and looked inside.

He saw his father sitting in one of his lounging chairs, a robe causally tied around him.  His chestnut hair hung softly to his shoulders, and his blue eyes peered lazily outward as a hand propped his slightly upturned chin. His father was still quite young for a king, still not out of his fourth decade, and his face still held signs of youth.  The servants often whispered how handsome and pleasant the king was, but Sanji had always seen a sadness in his father.  There was a distance in him; his eyes always seem to be looking at something that's not quite there.  It sometimes made Sanji's heart ache, though he didn't know why.  
      
At his father's feet, he saw a knight kneeling, head bowed low.  Sanji recognized him—he was the captain of the guard, someone he always saw scowling and who had a shock of white hair even though he couldn't have been more than thirty.  After a few moments, the knight raised his eyes to look at the king. 

"We found a boy, your majesty," he stated.  The king looked at the kneeling figure, but said nothing.  The knight continued. 

"We found a boy, who can't be much older than the crowned prince, while scouting the surrounding woodlands.  He seems to come from the mountains, somewhere."

The king shifted slightly in his chair.  "So...?  See if you can find out where he's from and return him there, and if he's orphaned find a home for him, he can get work in a mill or something of the like."  The king frowned.  "I hardly think something of this degree needed to be brought to all the way to me.  I granted you permission to speak to me here because you said this was a matter that you would rather not be gossiped about, and I hardly think a matter this mundane would create a stir."

"I apologize, your majesty, I do not mean to waste your time," the knight said quickly.  "I was not finished.  When we found him, he was sitting in the middle of a dozen dead bodies slain by a sword he seems to have wielded, since he was completely covered in their blood."  Sanji felt his breath catch.  "We wouldn't think much of it if they were peasants, rather than justly punishing the boy, but the bodies belonged to the group of bandits that has been terrorizing outer villages.  It seems they were coming to attack one of the port towns.  I recognized the leader of the gang as one of the slain."

Sanji felt a twisting in his gut.  Someone his age, killing that many people?  And dangerous ones at that.  It didn't seem possible.  Maybe he was a demon...

The king frowned.  "Have you confined the child somewhere?"

"In a sense, your majesty."  The knight sighed, a slight twitch of irritation at his eyebrows.  "You see, a young squire insisted on coming on the scouting mission with us, and him being rather rambunctious I figured he might be easier to handle when I have him in sight.  And...when we came across the scene, I'll admit that we froze.  We didn't know how to make sense of it, or whether there was witchcraft involved," he said.  He sighed before continuing.  "But that squire just walked right up to him and started talking to the boy, like the boy wasn't covered in blood and surrounded by corpses."

The king looked at the knight expectedly.  "And...?"

"The boy started crying.  It sounded like his limbs were getting ripped apart."  The knight turned his eyes to the floor and shook his head slightly, his voice small.  "I haven't heard sobs like that in a long while."  He continued, stronger.  "The boy has extraordinary skill, from what little he showed to me.  I haven't seen anything like it before.  We plan on testing him thoroughly but I feel that he easily could beat most of our guard."

The king raised his eyebrows.  "What are you planning, Smoker?"

"We can mold him into the perfect knight.  He is able to kill but also contains humanity, it seems.  He is young, yes, but if we start now I think he can prove most advantageous to your kingdom."  The knight hesitated slightly before continuing.  "As you aware, the crowned prince is nearing his twelfth birthday, and it'll soon be time when we will have to be thinking towards the future.  I believe that the boy we found is a perfect candidate to become an integral part of the crowned prince's personal guard.  Obviously there would have to be many trials before any such arrangement was finalized, but if they are able to grow up around each other and create a bond—" 

Sanji didn't want to hear anymore.  He could come back later to see his father.  He was tired from getting up so early and didn't want to hear any more of their planning, constant planning of his future.  As he made his way through the large hallways, he wondered if he would ever make a choice of his own. 

***

"ZOROOOOO!"  Luffy shouted as ran towards the green haired boy.  Zoro turned his head towards the boy flying towards him and grinned.  He prepared a solid stance so that when Luffy barreled into and latched his arms and legs around him, Zoro only tilted slightly before righting himself.

"Zorooooo, let's go play, I found the coolest thing in the forest this morning and you have to see it!" Luffy said energetically, practically shaking with excitement. 

"Sorry, Luffy, I still got stuff I have to finish," Zoro replied.  

He had been at the guard quarters for several weeks and was getting used to being there. He was expected to do chores for the men, cleaning the stables and fetching water and such.  The work wasn't hard, and Zoro appreciated the manual labor and had an especial fondness for the horses, sneaking them an occasional apple.  

His favorite time of day is when they let him train.  The grounds were well kept and equipped with everything a soldier might need, and Zoro more than took advantage of it. 

He didn't much care for most of the knights, but the burly white haired one called Smoker wasn't too bad. It seems that the guards who were there when they found him the forest were sworn to secrecy, because no one has mentioned it since he got there.  Or perhaps they were just considerate.  Either way, he was glad for their silence.  He didn't want to think about it. 

The real reason he stayed was for Luffy.  And the training grounds.  But mostly Luffy.  It didn't make a lot of sense to the rational side of his brain; Luffy was overly-energetic and not particularly smart, and had a bad habit of getting himself into sticky situations.  But Zoro knew that he was right in staying with him.  
    
It was surprising to find out that Luffy was actually a devil’s fruit user. He had doubted that they existed at all, but when Luffy’s arm starting stretching and didn’t stop, his skepticism vanished. It was still weird, though, and Zoro was caught off guard at times by Luffy’s rubber-man antics.  
    
"Roronoa," a strong voice cut through the noise in the yard as Zoro and Luffy turned their heads towards it.  Smoker stood imposingly in front of them, arms crossed against his broad chest, a cigar hanging lazily out of the corner of his mouth.

"Alright, kid, someone important is coming to see you," he said gruffly, looking at Zoro.  "You better be on your best behavior, I really don't want any trouble today."  He sighed, somehow making his perpetual scowl even deeper.  "They were supposed to give me more time than this, I wanted to make sure you could handle it ... and you need to behave too!" he barked, shooting a glare at Luffy.

"Shishishishi, of course, Smokey!"

"I've told you before, stop calling me by that ridiculous nickname.  You do realize I could kick you out of here quicker than you can blink."

"Aw, but I know you won't, Smokey, because you're a good guy!" Luffy said, laughing.  "Hey, who is it that's coming?"

Smoker sighed.  "You'll see soon enough.  He'll be here any minute."

Zoro looked up at the captain of the guard warily.  Zoro knew they weren't keeping him here out of the goodness of their hearts.  They wanted something from him.  He had hoped he could've stayed here a little while longer, the training grounds really were great and Luffy was great company, but he couldn't allow them to use him.  

Zoro stared at his hands.  They weren't going to make him into a tool.  He was his own person and made his own decisions.  He made a promise and was going to keep it, he wasn't going to let this get in the way of his dream.  He clenched his hands into fists.

"Ah, here he comes now."

Zoro looked up.  To his surprise, he didn't see an adult but a young boy, probably around his age. He had blonde hair falling over one of his eyes and an easy walk in his step. He looked bored. He had two people who looked like servants trailing behind him.

“Oi, why is the prince coming to see Zoro?” Luffy asked, confusion tinting his voice.

Zoro’s head reeled. The prince. The fucking prince. Why would a rich little snob want to see him? What was going on?

The group reached them and Zoro could feel a twist of nervousness in his gut. “You’re Roronoa, I presume?” one of the attendants with the prince asked, nose slightly upturned.

“Yeah,” Zoro answered tensely. “What do you want?”

The attendant scowled. “You’re in the presence of royalty, at least attempt to have some semblance of respectability.” Zoro returned his glare with a blank look.

“It’s fine. I don’t really care,” the prince spoke, almost lazily. He turned to Zoro. “So you’re the kid that killed all those people in the forest, right?” Zoro felt himself tense, a wave of guilt going through him.

The prince looked at him disapprovingly.  "You're not so scary, are you?  Especially not with your stupid green hair, moss head."

Zoro scowled, arms folding across his chest, replying curtly.  "You're one to talk, stupid curly brow."

The yard went silent.  Zoro understood his mistake the moment after he said it.  He felt his stomach in his throat and blood pumping in his ears.  Speaking out of turn and so rudely to royalty is what gets you killed.   

The servants watched the scene with a thin layer of pity covering their interest of his punishment.  He could see out of the corner of his eye Luffy standing off to the side with wide eyes and clenched fists.  Everybody seemed to be holding their breath.  His head reeled.  He was dead.  This stupid blonde was going to whine and he was going to be hung for saying one stupid little thing, he couldn't fight all of them.  What a stupid way to die.

The silence was broken by the prince's clear laughter. 

Zoro and the others looked at him with confusion as the young boy doubled up, holding his stomach.  His laughter wasn't maniacal or condescending.  He simply sounded happy, like a child.  He sounded happy.  Zoro furrowed his eyebrows. 

The prince's laughter settled, and he looked Zoro straight in the eye, the largest, most genuine smile on his face.  It was then that Zoro saw how blue the prince's eyes were.  They were so clear, so unabashedly beautiful that Zoro was sure that they had to be filled with magic.  He could feel his face getting warm.

"I like you," the prince breathed.  "We should be friends!"

At that, Zoro's face fully flushed a deep red.  "Wh-what...?" he managed to sputter out.

The prince's wide smile slid into a smirk.  "What, can't talk now?  Is that grass on your head rooted in your brain?"

Zoro frowned.  "Wha—no!  Shut up, curly!"

The prince let out another short burst of laughter and resting his hands on his hips.  "I'm Sanji, by the way."

"...I know who you are," Zoro muttered, turning his head.  "'m name's Zoro."

"AND I'M LUFFY!  LET'S BE FRIENDS!"  Zoro felt a skinny arm latch around his neck from behind.  He smirked when he saw Sanji's look of confusion.

"Uh, okay?" 

"YESSSSSS!"  Luffy shouted as he moved to latch on to Sanji.  "Hey, do you have any meat I could eat?"

Sanji stumbled slightly before righting himself.  "Uh, I think so?  I'm not really allowed to go to the kitchens during the day, so—"

"AWESOME!  Thanks Sanji, you're the best, shishishishishi!" Luffy continued to hold onto the prince and started listing his favorite meat dishes.  Sanji's mouth stretched back into a wide smile.

"Uh, your majesty, you really should be moving on, you don't want to be late for your lesson," one of Sanji's attendants said nervously, eyeing Luffy who decided it would be a good time to pick his nose while still leached onto the prince.  

Sanji's smile faltered.  "Ah, of course.  Sorry Luffy, I'll have to get you some meat another time."  Luffy unattached himself with a huff.

"Alright but this just means you owe me DOUBLE the meat, okay?!"  Luffy said, crossing his arms.

Sanji laughed.  "Of course."

"AAAAHH Sanji you're such a good friend!" Luffy said pulling Sanji into another hug/headlock.  "Much better than Zoro," he whispered loudly into the prince's ear.

"I heard that, you rubber freak!"

"Aww, Zoro you know you're my friend, but Sanji's just a little bit higher than you.  Because you don't give me meat," Luffy said simply as he moved towards Zoro.

Zoro rolled his eyes. "He hasn't given you any yet, you idiot."

"Yeah, but he's GOING to.  I'm so excited!"

Sanji looked at both of them.  He could feel his hands shaking slightly, though he didn't know why.  "So..." he started.  Luffy and Zoro fell silent and looked at him.  "We're friends?"

"YES!" Luffy beamed, and Zoro mumbled something out of the side of his mouth that sounded like "of course, you idiot prince."

Sanji smiled as he let the attendants lead him to his lesson.  He kept smiling the rest of the day, and when he fell asleep that night, his head was filled with dreams of adventures he could take with his two new friends.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's been several months (in the story) since the last chapter. I know I said before I would explain time skips in the notes, but I'll clarify how much time has past in the story itself from now on. Hope this doesn't add any confusion!
> 
> This chapter a little bit shorter than the last, but I'm aiming to have future chapters average out longer. Your comments were so wonderful to read!! Thank you xoxo

"Waaaaah, why do we have to do this, Zoro?!  Sanji couldn't even come along today," Luffy whined as he lagged behind Zoro. The green-haired boy just gave him a stern look as he continued through the bustling market place. 

The market was busy. There were all kinds of stalls lined up on either side of the street, with people weaving in and out, heckling for prices and creating the usual mundane chaos. Zoro and Luffy made their way through the crowd, Zoro taking careful care of the the leather coin purse that hung at his hip near his sword.

They were tasked with buying supplies for the stables, usually something that neither of them were allowed to do, not because they weren't trustworthy, but because they attracted trouble like flies to honey.  Smoker was only letting them go today as some sort of test, and Zoro didn't want to mess it up, particularly because Smoker alluded to cutting his training time and increasing their chores if they couldn't do this right. 

"We might as well go on an adventure while we're out!" Luffy exclaimed as he bounded forward.

"Last time we tried to go on adventure without the idiot prince we both ended up getting lost and couldn't find our way back for an entire week.  Smoker's bad enough, but even Sanji looked like he wanted to fillet us alive, so I'd rather not," Zoro replied flatly, righting himself after bumping into a girl in the crowd.

"Hmph, you're no fun," Luffy pouted.

"Whatever, you can spend all day by yourself for all I care, it leaves me more time to train."

"WAAAAHH, Zoro you know I didn't mean it!  I'm just hungry for meat and adventure and errands are boring!  But being alone is boring too...Zorooo!"

Zoro just rolled his eyes as the energetic boy continued to whine, walking forward as he let his mind wander.  It had been a while since Luffy and him starting spending time with the idiot prince, and he had really started to grow accustomed to his company.  He supposes it's strange for them to spend so much time with royalty, but Smoker didn't seem to mind, and Sanji always was up for an adventure, though he did seem to possess more sense than them, Zoro could admit grudgingly. 

He liked spending time with the prince, though.  Even when he gave Zoro a hard time, he was always kind, always accommodating.  He'd always sneak Luffy and him food from the kitchens and could handle Luffy's enthusiasm as well as Zoro could.  It felt ... normal.  As normal as it could.  Comfortable.  Well, for the most part.  There were times when Sanji would smile wider than usual or laugh more carefree, and when Zoro looked at him he felt a small tugging in the pit of his stomach.  He didn't understand it.  So he ignored it.  
   
Zoro absentmindedly reached down for the coin purse, checking to make sure it still secure, only to find his hip empty. 

Zoro whipped around to see the orange haired girl he bumped into earlier quickly making her way through the crowd.  In her hand, he caught a glimpse of a leather coin purse, strangely familiar to the one no longer on his hip.

"Luffy!" Zoro barked at the oblivious dark haired boy.  "That ginger girl just cut our coin purse, if we lose all that money, Smoker will punish us for sure!"  Luffy looked at him blankly.  Zoro sighed.  "That means NO MEAT."  That snapped Luffy right into action, and he quickly scanned the crowd before spotting the girl and starting towards her.  Zoro went off down an alley, thinking to go around and cut the girl off on the other side.

Zoro seethed.  He wasn't really angry at the girl; it wasn't his place to judge her on her why she decided to steal.  He has done far worse than that.  He more so cursed whatever force was pitted against him that decided to mess up his life whenever it got a chance.

He went through to the other side of the alley, ending up on an unfamiliar street and made his way into the somewhat sparser crowd. It was similar to the one he just left, with stalls lining the road and people bartering noisily. Zoro took a few steps forward, hoping to find his way back to the other street, but couldn’t remember exactly how he got here…or which way to go. Turning on his heel, he looked behind him, looked for something familiar, but his disorientation only increased. Zoro could punch something; for all the times for his useless sense of direction to rear its head, it would be the moment that he actually needs it. But he couldn’t give up now. Zoro hesitated before turning towards what seemed to be the busier area, hoping the girl had the same idea as him and jumped a street over and was trying to lose herself in the crowd. He pushed people out of his way, dodging angry insults and swinging arms. He nearly let out a shout of joy when he caught a sight of orange hair through the mass of people. Training his focus on the ginger head bobbing through the crowd, he started to move towards her. He was scared he was going to lose her—she really was nimble—but the crowd was too congested for her to move very quickly. She suddenly turned her head, checking to see if she was being followed, and caught sight of Zoro. Her eyes widened and she more desperately pushed her way through the crowd but Zoro would not let her get away. Could not let her get away.

He lost sight of her for a moment and started to panic but then caught a glimpse of her as she slipped into an alley. Turning into it, he saw that the girl had fell—probably tripped on one of the discarded pieces of wood that lay haphazardly in the alley—and was holding a scraped knee to her chest, the coin purse just barely visible through her fingers. Whipping her head around at the sound of his footsteps, she watched him glaringly as he slowly walked towards her, a small scowl on her face.

Zoro panted as he looked down at the girl. She seemed to be about his age, maybe a little younger, her hair cropped at her shoulders and her face covered in freckles, stubborn eyes returning his. She held the coin purse in her hand so tightly her knuckles were white.

“We don’t want to hurt you,” he breathed, “just give us back the money.”

She jutted out her jaw and looked him dead in the eye. “No.”

Zoro scowled and he could feel his eyebrow twitch. “Look. Just give us the money. We won’t do anything to you. If you need the money for food, just steal food.”

Her eyes narrowed as she glared up at him, clutching the coin purse more tightly. “Food’s not the problem,” she replied. “I need this money.”

Zoro glared back at her, hand moving towards his sword. “Well I need it too.”

They stared at each other, their shoulders rigid. Zoro could feel himself getting more and more angry; he was not in the mood for this.

“Okay, you can have it.”

Zoro and the girl broke eye contact and turned their heads up to see Luffy crouching on the roof of one of the buildings that made up the alley. He jumped down to them, placing a hand on his head to keep his hat from falling off. 

“Luffy we can’t give—”

“Who the hell are y—”

Zoro and the girl spoke at the same time before breaking off to glare at each other again. Zoro turned to Luffy. “What the hell do you mean she can have it?!”

“Well, she said she needs it. Sounds like she needs it more than us,” Luffy said simply.

Zoro stared at Luffy. Looked into those eyes of his. Tried to understand what he was thinking.

And after a moment, Zoro did. Luffy really was a bad influence on him.

Zoro sighed defeatedly, rubbing a face over his face and into his hair. “Fine. But you’re taking the blame for this,” he said pointedly towards Luffy.

Luffy grinned. “Shishishi, of course! Smokey’s already pissed at me, so it’s just another drop in the bucket, shishishi!”

They turned their attention back to the orange-haired girl who was looking back and forth between them confusedly. 

“Wha…” she started. “You’re just gonna let me have this?” she asked, gesturing to the coin purse.

“Yeah, whatever,” Zoro said dismissively as Luffy grinned.

The girl looked at them a moment more before grinning slightly. “Wow,” she said incredulously. “You guys are idiots.”

Zoro scowled and Luffy’s grin somehow got larger.

“I’m Luffy, and this is Zoro,” Luffy said. “What’s your name?”

She looked at them suspiciously before answering slowly. “My name’s Nami.”

“NAMI!” he repeated thunderously. “Let’s be friends!”

The girl’s look of confusion turned into full blown disbelief. She looked at Zoro. “Is he being serious?”

“Unfortunately, yes,” Zoro replied flatly.

“Shishishi! Hey, wanna be our friend?” Luffy asked, eyes shining.

The girl somehow looked more incredulous than she already did. Zoro assumed she was going to refuse outright. But then he caught a glimpse in her eye, a glimpse that looked like someone who wanted to take advantage of her situation, someone who made calculated moves to get what she wants. 

She smiled, a sparkle in her eye. “Okay.” Luffy let out a whoop and jumped into the air and started talking excitingly to her. Zoro narrowed his eyes at her and scowled. He was going to keep a close eye on her.

“—and you’ll love our friend, he’s the best, he always gives me meat and fights really well, almost as good as Zoro even, although he can’t always hang out with us because he has other stuff he has to do, but he’s still so much fun, this one time we—” Luffy rambled on to Nami as they made their way out of the alley and back into the crowd. Zoro walked several steps behind them, more aware of his surroundings than earlier.

He watched them talk to each other. She seemed fine enough, anyone that can handle Luffy talking their ear off already was an exemplary human being, but there was something about her that was…off. Besides the fact that she pickpocketed them and refused to give the money back even when cornered in an alley against someone armed with a broadsword, there was a tenseness in her shoulders and something in the way she was constantly looking over her shoulder, not at him, but for some other reason. And when he saw her eyes, though he couldn’t be sure, masked beneath her confidence seemed something close to desperation, a wild glint that could be unpredictable and thus extremely dangerous. Yes, he was most definitely going to keep a very close eye on her.

***

"Holy shit, that's the prince!" Nami whispered out the side of her mouth towards the boys.  "Is he really the friend you were talking about?"

Luffy smiled.  "Yep!  He's a good guy and always gives me meat."

"How did you manage a friendship with royalty?" she asked incredulously, running her fingers hastily through her hair. 

Zoro frowned. “It’s not that big a deal.”

Nami rolled her eyes. “Yes, it is! You should understand how lucky you are that he wastes his time with you!” Nami continued to talk about how fortunate they were that royalty deemed their company worthy of his presence. Zoro’s frown got deeper.

After coming back to the guards’ quarters and getting chewed out by Smoker, Nami had spent the rest of day with them. She proved to be a lot smarter than them in more ways than one (Zoro could admit to that even though he didn’t really want to) and also a lot craftier—she stole them some meat pies and also haggled a merchant down in price on a bracelet so absurdly she might as well have stolen it. Once the sun had started sinking in the sky, they had made their way back to the palace to meet up with Sanji. Now, a sunset brilliantly painted the sky with oranges and pinks and purples and soft yellows that sat in the clouds.

Sanji finally made his way across the courtyard towards them, an easy smile on his face. His face lit up when he saw Nami and nearly leaped the rest of the way to them.

“Ah! Who is this beautiful lady that is gracing you two ruffians with her presence?” Sanji asked as he bent down with a flourish and kissed her hand.

Nami giggled. “You flatter me, your majesty.”

Zoro scowled. That’s one thing that continued to piss him off about the prince—how he treated women. Why the prince felt this need to treat women so differently then men never made any sense to Zoro. They were people, and if you really respected them you would treat them as such instead of putting them on a pedestal. Not to mention the attention was just plain creepy at times.

So while the prince was getting acquainted with Nami and Luffy was distracted by a stray dog that had ran up to him, Zoro slipped away. He didn’t want to watch this farce of Sanji’s. It made him angry, in more ways than he exactly understood. 

***

"I wondered where you went off to."

Zoro opened his eyes and lifted his head from his crossed arms to see Sanji standing silhouetted in the moonlight, hands on his hips.

"Nami went back into town, and I think Luffy went off to bother Smoker about something," the prince continued, looking down at Zoro.

Zoro grunted in reply as closed his eyes again. After leaving the others, he went and trained for a bit before coming to his and Luffy’s secret hiding place where he currently sat. They had found it one day exploring the coast; a small little cave that took some precarious climbing and more than a little bit of recklessness to get to. But it was small and dry, away from everything, and Zoro found that the continuous sounds of waves hitting the rocks below calmed his mind. That is, until princes decided to shatter your peace.

Sanji scowled.  "What the hell is your problem?!  I haven't said anything mean to you today, at least nothing meaner than usual.  Why are you acting like I took a shit in your shoes?"

Zoro snorted, lazily opening his eyes. “That might actually be preferable.”

Zoro thought that comment would provoke more yelling at him from the prince, but all he did was sigh and run a hand through his hair, holding it there for a moment. Zoro knew that habit; it showed up whenever Sanji was stressed about something and didn’t really know how to move forward. This wasn’t one of their usual superficial spats, Zoro realized. Sanji really wanted to know what was wrong.

Zoro was quiet for a moment before responding. His voice was tight.  "Why did you act like such an idiot around Nami? It was embarrassing.”

Sanji was quiet for a moment, a look of confusion on his face. “Wait…are you jealous?" Sanji asked, eyes wide.

"Wh-what?! No! What are you even talking about!" Zoro sputtered angrily.

Sanji stared at him for a beat before breaking down into laughter.  He sat down next to Zoro whose face had heated up considerably, still laughing softly while pulling his knees up to his chest.

"You're a weird guy, Zoro," Sanji said lightly, resting his chin on his arms.  "I keep thinking I understand you and then you completely surprise me."  He smiled slightly.  "Little things, you know.  Just the little things you do.  You're almost a contradiction, but not quite."  He turned to face Zoro, smiling wide.  "Like just now.  I wouldn't think you'd be the kind of person to get jealous. Not that you were, of course…”

Sanji looked forward again, smile still on his face.  "You don't need to worry, though,” he said softly.  “I'm not the kind of person who just leaves their friends for other people.  At least not the friends I really care about."

A warmth crept up Zoro's neck as he continued to look forward.  "Yeah, I know."

Sanji let out a short laugh.  "I just think women deserved to be treated well—worshipped!  The world treats them like shit, I might as well treat each one like a princess."

Zoro shook his head slightly, a small smile on his face.  "You’re an idiot. But I wouldn't expect anything less from you, shit cook."

Sanji smiled at him. “Yeah, I suppose not.”

They sat there for a while. Other than the waves, all Zoro could hear was Sanji’s soft breathing. The moon was full and bright, and when Zoro looked over at Sanji he saw the moonlight shine in his hair, turning it silver rather than gold. He could see the stars reflected in Sanji’s eyes. And again, he chose to ignore the pull he felt in the bottom of his stomach.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay another chapter finally done!! Thank you for being patient with me!!!! I'm trying to get better but alas. Much love to you all xxxxx

Luffy showed up one day with a scrawny kid with big hair and the longest nose Zoro had ever seen, a kid who called himself “Captain Usopp,” claiming he had 10,000 soldiers at his command and was the bravest warrior in the kingdom. Zoro immediately knew he was full of shit. Luffy took some further convincing. 

But despite of Usopp's habit of stretching—or completely fabricating—the truth, he quickly became part of their group. He was a funny kid. And beneath his large show of nervous bravado, he was kind and compassionate and, though a bit of a coward at times, he was brave when it mattered. Zoro liked him.

So when Usopp had proposed a trip into the mountains to find a plant—a specific plant he wanted to use for new ammunition for his slingshot whose flowers (if properly dried, as the old horticulturist in town had told him) would make whoever smelt it feel compelled to tell the truth—the whole group of them decided to make a day of it. 

At the last second, however, Usopp came down with the flu and was bedridden for days, retching up anything that he tried to eat besides the simple broths that Sanji brought him.

Luffy was forced to stay back by Smoker, much to his dismay, after he had gotten into the armory and wrecked havoc. 

And Nami was no where to be found and they had no idea when she’d be back. This, however, didn’t particularly worry them—she had done this several times before, disappearing for a period of time without any notice. When she came back the first time, Luffy had barraged her with questions about where she had been but she evaded them, no matter how annoying Luffy got. They all wanted to press her about it, but also knew that if Nami wanted to tell them what was going on, she would. And she always came back, usually with a bulging bag of the most delicious oranges they’d ever tasted. 

When she returned, however, they all kept careful watch over her. Because even though she acted like her regular self, they could sense a sadness about her. It was something they never discussed out loud, but Luffy cracked more jokes that he’d knew Nami would like, Usopp’s storytelling became more colorful and epic, Sanji snuck her favorite pastries from the kitchen, and Zoro didn’t complain when she asked him to carry stuff for her in the market.

They talked about rescheduling their mountain trip, but this would be the last day for a while that Sanji would be allowed to be out with them the whole day and into the next morning—his studies had exponentially increased and it was hard for him to find much time for them at all—and from what Usopp told them, the plant had a very narrow window of when it was in bloom. Usopp had practically begged them while he lay in bed, shaking from his fever, to still go. And it was hard to say no to the sharpshooter when he was being so openly candid with them.

So. Zoro and Sanji decided they would go by themselves. Which is how Zoro ended up trudging through unmarked mountain forests, sweating through his clothes on the hottest day of the summer while annoying bugs and princes buzzed in his ear. 

“That isn’t the way, shithead, the map clearly has us going north of the river, not whatever way you’re going,” Sanji snipped, grabbing Zoro’s shoulder roughly and pulling him in the opposite direction where Zoro walking. Sanji studied the map that Usopp had drawn for them in his other hand as he dragged Zoro forward by his forearm. They’d had to start early in the morning, as soon as there was light, in order to make it to their destination before the sun sank again. And even then, they’d have to spend the night there and head back the next day. Luffy, Zoro and Sanji had ventured into the surrounding mountains enough to have a good understanding of the area, but this was not an easy trek. 

Sanji let out an exasperated sigh. “God, I wish Nami here, we would probably be there by now.”

Zoro snorted, pulling out of Sanji’s grasp. “I don’t. She would’ve been complaining the whole time—and would’ve made me carry her bag and find a way to charge me for it.”

Sanji stopped suddenly and looked back at Zoro, a scowl on his face. “What is it with you and girls, why do you hate them so much?”

Irritation twitched at Zoro’s eyebrow, waving his hand around his head in a fruitless attempt to stop the mosquitoes from buzzing around him. “I don’t hate girls or even dislike them—Nami’s just annoying,” he said, his voice tight. “Just because I don’t bend over backwards to please them doesn’t mean I don’t like them. I just don’t see the need to treat them any differently.”

Sanji looked at him a moment before his eyes drifted away. Zoro could see his thoughts churning as the prince shifted his feet and tucked a strand of sweat-damp hair behind his ear. There was something a little different about him today. Normally at this point Sanji would’ve just resorted to a biting insult and trudged on again. But now he hesitated. 

“But don’t you ever, you know…fantasize? About women and the…just…don’t you think about women in a… their bodies? And…I don’t know how to say this, don’t you fantasize about women?” Sanji finished awkwardly, looking at him expectantly.

Zoro shrugged. “I’ve never really thought about it before. Never had a reason to.”

“You don’t need a reason to—gah, shit, never mind, don’t know why I thought this be a good subject to talk to you about.” Sanji turned around and started walking again. Zoro followed.

Zoro watched Sanji’s back. What was he just trying to ask him? Or more importantly, why? He’d been around men his whole life—he was used to the way they talked about women, about what they did (or didn’t do) with women. Was this what people—men, boys—were supposed to talk about? Zoro just couldn’t understand why. It seemed too…personal. Zoro knew what Sanji was alluding to, but his fantasies were never anything specific—they were hazy, vague. He focused on sensation, the emotions that wove through his chest. But Sanji had tried to open up to Zoro about it, and Zoro felt a compulsion to respect that, to make a bridge to him.

“I don’t,” Zoro started, voice hesitant but level, “I don’t really ever think of anything specific. I don’t know, makes it weird, I guess.”

Sanji turned back at Zoro with a look of surprise on his face. It was quickly replaced with a smirk. “Ah, so even the great swordsman must listen to the needs of his body every once and while.” Zoro averted his eyes and stared at the ground before him, a blush creeping up his neck.

“I’m just joking with you,” Sanji said, his voice a little softer, slowing his pace to walk next to Zoro. “That’s weird, though. It’s different for me, it has to be real specific you know?”

Zoro grimaced. “Nami?”

A look of horror passed over Sanji’s face. “Oh god, no, not people I know, really. And never Nami, I wouldn’t be able to look at her—feels disrespectful, like she didn’t give me permission to think about her that way.” Sanji looked forward again. “No, it’s like I imagine this woman I’ve never met, she’s kind of this perfect woman, and I focus on real specific aspects of her, like her…her thighs, or…whatever else.” He cleared his throat, redness on his cheeks. “Shit, this is awkward to talk about, why’d I bring it up?”

Zoro snorted. “Beats me, shit cook.”

Sanji shoved Zoro in the shoulder. “Screw you, moss head,” he said as he moved in front of Zoro again, shoulders hunched. “Thanks for humoring me, though.” 

“I understand, I guess. It’s something people always seem to be talking about but never actually talk about, yeah? Kind of makes it difficult to understand what we’re feeling,” Zoro said, falling in step behind the prince.

The tension in Sanji’s shoulders relaxed. “Yeah. Feels kinda isolating at times.”

“Yeah,” Zoro agreed.

They fell into a comfortable silence, the sound of the gurgling stream fading behind them. For a while all they heard were birds calling to each other, bugs buzzing around their heads, the sound of each other’s breathing and steady rhythm of their boots hitting soft earth. The sun moved higher into the sky and the heat fell thickly through the tops of the trees and stifled them in their tunics. Soon both of them were bare-chested in an attempt to cool themselves, but still sweat covered them. They’d been working at a steady incline for a while now, and it seemed to get steeper and steeper.

“God, we gotta be close soon, right?” Sanji panted, referring to the map again and wiping sweat from his forehead.

“How would I know, never been here before,” Zoro replied, equally out of breath. 

“Don’t know why I asked, even if you had you wouldn’t know where we we are. You can’t even find your way around your own room.”

“Screw you, cook!”

The bickering distracted them from the heat and the exhaustion in their bones for a little while. But they soon fell into a silence again, only having enough energy to move one foot after the other, their water skins low and irritation rising. Zoro supposed it was good training though—to expose his body to extremes, to work up endurance. But damn—he was getting tired. And he could see that Sanji was too, how his feet dragged a little more, his breath a little harsher. But he never slowed his pace. And, though not exactly sure why, Zoro was grateful for that.

At least the landscape was beautiful. Zoro better understood why people isolated themselves away in the trees and rocks, surrounded by the pulsating life of the mountain forest. There was this slow moving energy that seemed to move through the ground, through the rocks and up into the trees, something that felt the slow thumping of a heartbeat. There were sorcerers that dedicated their life to this energy—trying to decipher it, siphoning it into their spells—but it still remained enigmatic. Uncontainable. And Zoro loved it. Made him want to sink into the stones under his feet and become a part of that stream of energy—but that might’ve just been his exhaustion talking.

Suddenly, as though it had been hiding in front of them the whole time and just decided to be known, they went past a line of trees and into a clearing. A wide strip of grass and short wild flowers lay between the forest where they emerged and a lake that sat calmly in the valley of two old mountains, the sun shining brilliantly on its surface. It was edged mostly with reeds and lily pads, but directly in front of the boys past the meadow was a narrow strip of gray, rocky beach, the stones smooth and damp. Off to one side, where the grass sloped into a small hill, was the ruins of a small stone house, no bigger than the houses back in the village, with vines creeping up its sides and portions of its roof collapsed in. Chunks of stone lay around it, almost hidden in grass. 

“That must be what Usopp was talking about,” Sanji said, catching his breath, “where we’ll find the truth-plant.”

“Yeah,” Zoro panted in response. 

“But first, let’s eat,” Sanji said, making his way toward the lake.

Zoro just nodded as he followed him.

They ate a meal of bread, cheese and dried meat, as well as some plums that Sanji had managed to sneak from the castle orchard. Zoro felt lethargic from the heat and his exhaustion, and he lay back on the soft grass, closing his eyes. For once, Sanji didn’t berate him for napping in the middle of the day. He let him rest, and Zoro was grateful. Sanji was probably happy to have a moment of rest for himself.

The sour smell of burning tobacco made its way into Zoro’s nose. He scrunched his face and held his breath for a moment before letting out a loud exhale, opening his eyes to see the prince sitting across from him, a small pipe hanging loosely from his lips.

Zoro scowled. “What the fuck is that, cook?”

Smirking around the pipe, Sanji snorted. “Even an idiot like you has got to know what tobacco is.”

“I know what tobacco is, I’m more concerned about why you’re willingly inhaling it into your lungs,” Zoro replied, grunting while propping himself up on his forearms.

Sanji shrugged. “I just like it, I guess.”

Zoro glared at the cook. “That’s not a reason.”

“You don’t have a reason for being an exhausting idiot, yet here we are.”

“God, why do I even try,” Zoro grumbled, closing his eyes and lying down again, arms folded across his chest.

The smell wasn’t that bad, Zoro supposed. There was something nice about it actually, like the spices that Sanji would cook with. It didn’t smell like the pipes he smelt in the market place. He took in a few more breaths of the smoke before he spoke again. “Doesn’t smell like normal shit, at least. Not as grimy.” 

Sanji looked at the pipe fondly. “One of the advantages of being royalty. People are always giving you expensive gifts. My father’s been getting this tobacco blend from a kingdom out west for years now, but he usually just gives it away, to other lords or whomever. I usually just take some when he’s not paying attention. Not that he’d care, I don’t think. Only indulges in tobacco when he’s particularly intoxicated. And when I say particularly, I mean extremely.” 

Sanji paused for a moment, looking out onto the lake and taking another drag. “Think maybe it was something my mom did, actually. You know how smell is linked to memory? Something about it reminds me her. Nothing distinct, just like…impressions. Sensations of her, I guess.” This time the smoke unfurled lazily out of his mouth, Sanji’s eyes unfocused. 

Zoro reached over to Sanji, easily plucking the pipe from Sanji’s hand before bringing it to his own mouth. He took a deep inhale, pulling the smoke into his lungs, and instantly regretted it.

“God, that’s awful,” Zoro managed to get out between coughs that felt like his lungs were going to be expelled from his chest.

Sanji laughed. “You’re an idiot.” He took the pipe back from Zoro, easily taking a drag and exhaling it through his nose. “Like anything, it takes practice.”

“How long have you been doing it?”

Sanji furrowed his brow slightly, trying to pull the memory from his brain. “A little while. I did it before you showed up, I know that, but only every so often. It’s only been recently that I’ve been doing it more.”

“Any reason why?”

Giving him a look, Sanji knocked the spent tobacco onto a flat stone that sat beside him. “I already said. I just like it.”

But I guess…it gives me a sort of…power over myself. I know it’s stupid and small and I don’t really know how to explain it, but…I don’t know. Choice that’s my own, I guess.”

Zoro simply nodded, laying back with his hands behind his head. “I understand.”

They lazed about for a little while longer before venturing to the ruins of little stone house. Referring to the description given to them by Usopp, they found the small plant creeping out between cracks of the old floor, the small, nearly iridescent petals of their flowers glowing softly in the afternoon light.

After they harvested as much as they could—Usopp had given them small, leather cases to put the delicate flowers in—they went back out to the lake. With the sun beating down on them, they naturally decided to go for a swim. What started as lazing about in the water quickly turned to splashing water at each other and seeing who could reach the rock that sit at the middle of the lake first. It exhausted Zoro, but also filled him with a joy that started in his chest and spread through his whole body. Being with Sanji was never boring, never without excitement. Zoro truly appreciated the time they spent together, especially now as it was becoming less and less.

It made sense. Sanji was a prince. He was to be king someday. According to custom, his lessons were more important than his friends. But that didn’t stop Zoro from wishing that Sanji could be with them more often, laughing and getting into trouble together.

Sanji was his equal in a way that none of the others were. He matched him in a fight. They both equally irritated each other. But—Zoro thought, at least—they also had an understanding apart from the others. An understanding to support Luffy and his crazy ideas. An understanding to protect Nami and Usopp when they needed it. They could fight together flawlessly, without having to plan anything. Zoro never had that with anyone, except Luffy. But Luffy was different, though Zoro didn’t completely know why.

Zoro had never said any of this to Sanji. But he hoped he understood.

After they exhausted themselves swimming, they once again paused to eat. But then Zoro said an off-hand comment about Sanji’s eyebrows and soon they were wrestling on the ground. When one seemed to gain the upper hand, the other would upset the balance and they’d end up fighting just as vigorously as before. But eventually, Sanji ended up beneath Zoro, his arms and legs pinned to the ground. The prince struggled to no avail, scowling up at the swordsman.

And as Zoro looked down at Sanji, at his determined, handsome face, all the confused and muddled feelings that had been swirling around his head bubbled to the surface. And the more he looked, the more tension left his body and was replaced by an intense need for Sanji to understood how he felt for him, the deep respect, admiration and loyalty. He needed Sanji to understand, that past all their fighting and disagreement, past Sanji’s responsibility to the kingdom and Zoro’s own ambition, Zoro would always be there for him. Zoro would always be his friend. He wasn’t sure why he needed to tell him this now, all of a sudden. Maybe it was being alone around Sanji all day, how easy it was to be each other, how he wished there were more days like this. Or maybe, finally, all of the small moments they’d shared together had built up to the point where Zoro couldn’t keep it in anymore. 

Zoro rose and sat back onto Sanji’s thighs, locking eyes with him. 

“I want to pledge myself to you.” He spoke with absolute certainty.

Sanji froze. He felt his face heat up as he looked up at Zoro. “What…?”

“I want to pledge myself to you,” Zoro repeated, “as your knight. Not the kingdom’s, but yours.” He looked at Sanji with such an intensity the prince felt a sudden desire to look away. But he held Zoro’s gaze.

“But, uh,” Sanji started, wriggling out from under Zoro and sitting up. “I don’t know how? Would it even be official?”

Zoro shook his head. “That doesn’t matter. All that matters is my promise to you.”

Sanji looked at him with confusion. “But why? Why this, why now?”

Zoro dropped his eyes and was silent a moment before answering, his voice strong. “I know this is why I’m in this kingdom in the first place, why they’ve allowed me to stay here. I know this is what they’ve planned for you, and for me. But I don’t want this to be their decision,” he stopped a moment, looking up at Sanji. “I want it to be ours. I want it to be yours. And so this is an opportunity to be free of them, if just for a moment.” Zoro’s gaze was unwavering. 

Sanji looked at Zoro, his heart pounding. “Are you sure?” he asked quietly. “I mean, this is kind of a big decision and we’re still young.”

“Yes, I’m sure,” Zoro responded without hesitation.

Sanji looked at him. 

“Uh. What am I supposed to say?”

“I don’t care. Anything is fine.”

“Anything is not fine! This is supposed to be a sacred ceremony—”

“Sanji.” Zoro’s eyes bored into him. “Just say what you feel you should.”

Sanji looked at him for a moment before nodding slightly. He turned his gaze to the surrounding woods, the clear lake. The sun was low on the horizon, turning the sky into a soft orange and pink haze. He smiled. He felt words start in his stomach and rise softly to his mouth.

“You’re kind, Zoro.” 

Zoro watched Sanji intently.

“You care about people. And I trust you. I trust you.”

Sanji turned to him and smiled.

“I trust you.”

Zoro felt the weight of these words in his chest, sinking deep into gut. But he also felt a lightness, a freedom.

“I trust you.”

All of a sudden, Zoro wanted to be very close to Sanji, to feel the warmth he could see in the prince’s cheeks. But he sat where he was and simply held Sanji’s gaze.

“I trust you.”

A frog started to croak in the reeds. The sun continued to sink in the sky. And the two boys sat with each other, as they had many times before. But something was different now. Perhaps it was because of the words that were said, or perhaps it was something else, something that they hadn’t noticed. They could feel each other, though they sat apart. Feel each other’s heartbeats. Understand a little better what lay beneath the other’s eyes. And in that moment, the world did not feel so isolating anymore. In that moment, the wind carried warmth. In that moment, they felt an energy spring up from somewhere very deep inside of them, and though they could feel it buzzing all through their bodies, it only brought them calm.


End file.
